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How to achieve 'self-realisation'

Self-realisation is a state of being. It exists within every person, at least potentially.

We often call it a state of natural happiness. Just think of times when you have been happy. If you could be in that state permanently for the rest of your life, you would be self-realised. You would always be at your best. People would gravitate to you, good fortune would come your way, job opportunities would happen and your health would be better too.

You can see that we've not saying that self-realisation is not necessarily to be in a permanently altered or psychedelic state of awareness; of course, a realised being may have many non-ordinary experiences of higher states of love, wisdom, energy and lights. He or she might even visit other planes of consciousness and meet beings who exist in subtle worlds. But the main feature of self-realisation is simply natural happiness.

So what’s the big deal? Well, it is a big deal, because normally our happiness is dependent. That means we feel happy when things go our way and unhappy when they don’t. The happiness of a realised being is independent. Such a person is happy both in good fortune and bad fortune. This is no small thing. It takes a lot of inner work to achieve such equanimity and inner joy.

What’s the best way to attain it? Meditation. When you meditate you get in touch with the true Self, which is the source of happiness. The more you anchor in the true Self, the more you get in touch with independent happiness. So everyone should begin to meditate. Be regular in your practice, if even for only 15 or 20 minutes a day. Then, if you are very fortunate you will meet a legitimate spiritual teacher. If you do that, your progress will be swift.